CASINO AGREEMENT: Company Allows City To Opt Out

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CASINO AGREEMENT: Company Allows City To Opt Out

After the City received a lot of negative responses, the gaming company trying to build a casino in Ankeny, is offering the city an opportunity to opt out of their agreement.

Wild Rose Entertainment LLC presented a Memorandum of Understanding to the Ankeny City Council on October 29. The council approved it with a 4 to 1 vote. The approval allowed the company to move forward with the rezoning of property through the City’s normal development process. This process includes a number of public meetings where citizens can address the council on this matter. The approval did not mean that the casino would automatically be built.

In a statement, Wild Rose Entertainment says misconceptions about the meaning of the agreement have caused them to reach out to the city and give them an opportunity to opt out of it at their November 19 meeting.

“The MOU only stipulated we would work with each other exclusively for the term of the agreement, and that Ankeny would allow the project to proceed through the appropriate municipal channels,” said Gary Kirke, chairman of Wild Rose. “We reached out to the city with this offer in order to alleviate the public controversy and media misconceptions surrounding the MOU.

Kirke said the company will continue to work towards getting the casino approved. He believes the project will generate many advantages for Ankeny.

The proposed venue where they hope to build the $150 million, 300,000 square foot casino is a 120-acre parcel of land east of the new I-35 interchange on 36th Street.